War Torn
by Anastasia Laurels 2.0
Summary: When Leo has to go into war, and Jason has abandoned Piper, what will she do? What if her best friend, Leo, never comes back? Rated T for mild violence. R & R! Er, I guess now it would be R & C... I'm so confused. :
1. Prologue

**Okay, guys. I'm going to try something that is significantly different from my other fanfics. (Well, not really. But it is cool!) I only said it was different because it involves another sort of theme. I'm not trying to copy anybody else's idea or anything, but I haven't seen anything like this on the PJO FF boards, so...yeah. Keep in mind how Leo looks, and is generally just, like Sammy, and how Sammy wanted to go into WW2. Alright...HAPPY READING!**

**DISCLAIMER: I'm pretty sure that I'm not Rick Riordan. Thing is, I would definitely have Jason die of unnatural causes in the Mark of Athena. Sorry, peeps. (I don't really call people peeps. It's just a fun word!)**

**Prologue (Yes, it's a prologue. A very long prologue, but still a prologue.):**

**Piper's P.O.V.**

I looked around at the gathered amphitheater, where demigods as far as the eye could see were sitting in a circle around the bonfire. I found Leo's face under the Hephaestus banner and smiled.

Leo had been a better friend than I could've asked for the past couple days. When we got back from our big quest on the Argo II_, _I was really excited that we actually lived. Honestly, it came as a surprise for all of us. Jason, however, realized that his love for me wasn't there anymore. His focus turned to Reyna, and he stayed at the Legion Camp. We hardly ever even Iris-messaged anymore. Therefore, I started to hang out more with Leo. He had managed to not change in the slightest when we came back. Same impatient, ADHD, all-around psychotic Leo. However, he had become the only person who knew how to cheer me up. So on those days when Clarisse "accidentally" grazed my arm/shoulder/shin with her spear, he would take me to Bunker Nine, and we would talk for hours. He always had at least one joke to crack (even though I didn't really find them funny), and I laughed because his crazy grin always appeared afterwards. Some days, all I had to do was think of him to smile.

Suddenly, I returned my attention to Chiron, seeing as he was talking. "Now that our prophecy is complete, there are other matters to discuss. The dark forces have refused to back down, and we, therefore, must fight back. Because no new prophecy has been introduced, we must only ask for volunteer demigods to fight in this war."

There was chatter amongst the crowd, who was uncertain. "I thought this stuff was over! I mean, can't we just ignore all this? They'll back down eventually!" someone from the Apollo cabin shouted.

Chiron looked at the camper sadly, like he wished this was true. "These dark forces are planning on attacking the camp, which is why we must meet them halfway through their journey and stand ground. I'm sorry, but there is no other way. We must fight back. Now, anyone who would be so kind to volunteer, please come down to the bonfire at this moment."

There was a bit a stirring amongst the crowd, and a few campers got up, and sat back down. Soon, the small bit of chaos had ended and there was a line of campers who would go into the war. I scanned the line, taking note of who would go. All the Apollo kids would be there (probably as doctors), all the Ares kids (no surprise), a few Athena kids (including Annabeth), Percy Jackson (again, no surprise), and...Leo?

I wanted to scream at him, yell out that Leo was only joking. But I found myself speechless and unmoving while Chiron said, "Alright. You are all dismissed. Everyone who is going into the war is required to go pack. We leave at six o'clock a.m. tomorrow."

All the campers slowing started shuffling their way out of the amphitheater. When I got out, I quickly ran to Cabin Nine. The bright green trees, the sparkling lake, and the sunset seemed too cruel for the moment. I scowled and sprinted faster. When I got there, I opened the door hastily, and saw Leo already dressed in his military uniform, packing his bag. He looked up at me with his warm brown eyes.

"Hey, Pipes," Leo grinned.

I wanted to cry. "Valdez, you are _not_ going into war! Never in a million years!" I nearly screamed.

He looked startled, as if not expecting my reaction. "Yes, I am going. Now calm down, beauty queen. Don't get all worked up. It's just a war."

I glared at him dangerously. "Just a war_? Just a war_! You have to be kidding me! You could die, Leo!"

He rolled his eyes. "I'm not gonna die. I promise. Plus, if I do, you still have Jason-"

"No I don't! Do you _not_ remember? He abandoned us for his Legion Camp buddies! And he might be going into the war too, for all we know!"

"Jason isn't going into the war. I Iris-messaged him a few minutes ago to ask. He told me himself."

"He so much as answered you? Gee, maybe I shouldn't be surprised! You two are still pals even thought he won't talk to me!"

Leo stared at me. "Piper, he didn't answer me either. I just took a chance tonight, and he actually answered. That's not my fault!"

I started to tear up, and Leo was quick to sit me down on his bed. He put his arm around me, awkwardly. "What am I supposed to do, Leo? I won't have you. If I don't have you, then what am I supposed to do?"

He opened his mouth and closed it a couple times, much like a fish. "Well...I...I think...um, you could," he stuttered, and finally gave up on giving advice. "Look, Pipes. I don't know what you're supposed to do. But why would you care about me anyway?"

I stared at him with wide eyes. "Oh my gods... You're the biggest _vlacus _in Camp Half-Blood! You don't know? Jeez, this just proves that you're a clueless idiot!" I yelled at him. He flinched at the words, but I didn't care. Had he not noticed what he had done this entire year?

I left him on the bed speechless, and sprinted to my cabin. I slammed the door to the Aphrodite Cabin, trudged to my bed, and screamed into my pillow. Sometimes I really hated boys. I soon drifted to sleep, not even realizing it.

*Leo Valdez had to leave before she woke up, and therefore never said goodbye to her.*

**…Time Lapse (about a week)...**

All of the head counselors were sitting around the tennis table, waiting for updates on the war from Chiron. Jake Mason was sitting at the table in place of Leo, and the Ares and Apollo seats were vacant. Chiron looked around the table. His sad eyes lingered on me for a moment, as if he was dreading to tell me some kind of bad news.

I hadn't been well after Leo left. I almost never smiled anymore. Without his humor and cheerfulness, the whole camp was happiness-deprived.

Chiron took a deep breath, and started with the news. "We have been doing well in the war, and it should be over soon-"

Everybody around the table breathed a sigh of relief and started chatting loudly amongst themselves.

Chiron tried to talk again, but his words were blocked out by the other campers.

"Shut up, guys!" I yelled.

"Thank you," Chiron told me. "Now, back to what I was talking about. The war should be over soon, however, as of today, Leo Valdez, head counselor of Cabin Nine, has been reported as missing in action."

My entire world was ripped from my soul as Chiron said those words.

**Alright guys! REVIEW! ...or else… (Sorry it's so short, but it's a prologue! I mean, hey!)**


	2. Chapter 1

**OKAY PEOPLES! Yes, I am, in fact, updating. You guys are so awesome, I already have two reviews! GO YOU GUYS! Anyways, I'm kinda busy this week. Don't expect any updating until the weekend. Just FYI. Oh, yeah...you guys should totally check out Franziska von Karma's "the Starting Point." It's a Hunger Games/Percy Jackson crossover, so it doesn't get too much traffic. I believe it's complete, too...possibly. Probably. Okay, now...ON WITH THE STORY!**

**Disclaimer: Okay, we can either do this the easy way or the hard way. FOR THE LAST TIME, PEOPLE! Even though I am extremely and perpetually freaking awesome, I can't live up to Rick. (Yet...)**

**Piper's P.O.V. (FYI, it's in Piper's P.O.V. the entire story. At least, I plan for it to be.)**

I sat on my bed, waiting. The war was finally over, and we barely won. All of the injured were being transported into the infirmary, and special attention was placed upon the most serious cases. Lacy and I voted Mitchell to report back to us who was injured. He didn't like it, but he lost the rock-paper-scissors match to us, so...yeah. I think you get the point.

Lacy was tense, because her most recent boyfriend had gone into the war. Some kid from Ares or something like that.

I, however, was more worried on how Leo was. That is, if they ever found him. I-we-had gotten little to no news on him. I was hoping they'd found him.

Just then, Mitchell ran in, panting. Lacy was the first to jump up and attack him with questions. "Is Nathan okay? Who is in the infirmary? Who isn't in the infirmary?"

Mitchell gasped for air once more, and then replied to us both. "Nathan is okay, and so are Percy and Annabeth. They did find Leo...but, um...he's kind of in bad shape, Piper. I don't-"

As soon as I heard that Leo was doing well, I rushed out of the cabin and to the infirmary. When I got there, a few Apollo kids blocked my way. I shoved them out of my way, and cautiously walked inside, not knowing what to expect. I walked down the aisle of campers, but didn't see Leo anywhere. I walked up to Chiron, who was checking up on a camper from Ares who looked pretty sickly.

"Chiron, where's Leo?" I asked him.

He looked at me. "Leo's in a solitary room. He was hit very badly, and had no medical attention for over four days. I don't know if he'll-"

"Can you show me where the room is?"

He nodded solemnly, and wheeled his way out of the room and down the hall. He steered himself into the third door on the left, and opened it wide, letting me inside.

I thanked him, and walked precariously through the door. What I saw didn't exactly fill me with joy, like I had slightly expected and hoped.

Leo lied on the bed, barely conscious. His cheeks were rosy with fever, his hair filthy with grime. In other words, he looked absolutely terrible. He had a scrape on his forehead, and probably had much worse wounds underneath the thin sheets. He smiled weakly at me. "See? Promised I wouldn't die," he told me in a frail voice.

I made a small smile. I didn't know how to reply to that.

"...What? I live through a war, come home, and don't even get one hug?" he asked me.

I grinned sincerely at this and gave him a small air hug. He smelled slightly, and I didn't want to break his bones or hurt him in any other way. In different measures, I would've tackled him.

"You 'fraid of me or something? C'mon, I don't smell _that_ bad!"

I laughed quietly, and hugged him a little tighter. I sighed. "I'm so happy you're finally back, Leo."

"Me too. I don't particularly like bombs and guns."

I giggled. _ Who am I? An obnoxious school girl? _I asked myself. "So...missing in action? What was that all about? You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

He grinned with his eyes only half open. "Ah...that. We were going into the enemy's territory, and the group kinda left me behind. By accident. They nearly killed me, but I got away and went off to some cave. I couldn't walk, so I decided I might want to stay there," he noticed the look on my face as my eyes scanned him for injuries. "But someone found me, so I'm alive. No harm done."

"Where's you're wound? Where are you hurt?" I said, relatively calm for someone who nearly lost their best friend to a rather large gang of monsters.

"Honestly, Piper, I'm fine-"

"_Where_, Leo?" I insisted quietly.

He looked me in the eyes and realized I wouldn't let the subject be. He sighed. "On my right leg, left arm, and left foot. My chest was hurt a bit, too."

After he mentioned this, I quickly threw off his sheets. I rolled up his uniform pant leg and examined his leg. It had a deep, bloody, dark red chunk taken out of it. It was probably broken, but I had seen worse. Next, I inspected the wound on his left arm. It had a slightly smaller, but still just as bad chunk taken out of it. Then I found his left foot, and suddenly got worried. It was a bit deformed and tinged with green as well. After biting my lip hard as to not make a noise that would suggest my being concerned, I analyzed his chest. My eyes widened. _"My chest was hurt a bit, too?" More like my chest was shot with a poisoned arrow, and then attacked by a bunch of thugs, and then was stabbed twelve times with Annabeth's knife. _I thought to myself. It was deep red with a shade of green all over it, and the part that wasn't like that was badly bruised and scratched. I had to bite down on my tongue hard not to scream.

"It-it isn't that bad. I'm sure with a little ambrosia and nectar, you'll be better in no time," I said nervously.

He glared at me, knowing I was telling a lie. "Seriously, beauty queen? I had four days to stare down at them. I think I know what they look like. I'm not _that_ stupid."

I bit my lip. "No, you'll get better. I'm sure you will. Trust me."

He rolled his eyes. "Sure, Pipes. Oh, and while I die? Could you get me some caffeinated beverage? That would be very helpful _and_ refreshing."

I laughed softly, and walked out the door to find some Mountain Dew for him.

**Sorry it's insanely short. It's not the good part yet, so...you know. :) Please review! I really need you guys to! This is a version of the sequel to Unexplained! ...to some degree.**


	3. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! I decided to update one more time this weekend. I'm not sure what this chapter will be like, 'cause I don't really know what will happen. I don't really have a plan, I'm just moving along. (Even when your hope is gone, move along, move along, just to make it through! Move along... I like that song. :D) Well, ON WITH THE STORY! (It was good enough for von Karma, so I'm postin' it! YEAH!)**

**Disclaimer: I love to go around town, bragging that I own the rights. It almost makes me feel like I actually do own them! :D**

**Piper's P.O.V.**

When I returned to Leo with the Mountain Dew, I saw that Jason was there as well. There was also a camper from Apollo, tending to his injuries. Before announcing my presence **(A/N I LOVE DOING THAT!)**, I listened to what Jason was arguing with Leo about.

"...How could you have been so immensely _stupid _as to go into the war, Leo? I mean, you're not strong, you can't handle a sword... You could've died!" I heard Jason shouting.

Leo closed his eyes in pain. "Jason...just leave me alone, okay? It's none of your business whether I went into the war or not. You were perfectly capable of going, but you didn't. I don't want to talk, okay?"

This seemed to make Jason even angrier. "Excuse me? It's none of _your _business if _I _ go into war or not either!"

"I know it isn't, I'm just saying-"

"I'm worried about you, okay? I can't believe you almost died. I can't believe you basically _are _dying! You're my best friend! Why would you go into the war, knowing you'd probably die?"

Leo sighed sorely. "I did it because I wanted to be important, Jason. You're always the first one to the scene, saving the day, getting the girl, and riding off into the sunset on a white horse. You have a long lost sister, you've had friends and figurative family your entire life. All I've ever been is some orphaned kid from Houston, who's spent his entire life running and missing his mommy. He never gets the girl, has no happy reunions with long lost sisters or movie star dads, and will never, ever have one big happy ending. Laugh at him. Laugh at his life. 'Cause all it's ever been is one big joke."

Something about his tone worried me. Had he always been like this? Thinking like that? His tone almost made me believe he had given up. Given up on life altogether. How would he know that he wouldn't get the girl? That he wouldn't have a happy ending? What, was he some psychic?

Leo's words left Jason with no reply. Jason only stood there, dumbfounded. It seemed like my cue to walk in.

I stepped next to Leo and handed him his Mountain Dew. I smiled at him reassuringly.

"Thanks, Pipes," he said, a bit moodily.

I grinned at him, and then turned to Jason.

"What are you doing here, Piper?" he asked me.

I smiled icily. "Not arguing with a fifteen-year-old who just fought a ton of monsters in a war and is now in serious pain, surely."

Jason's brows furrowed. "Come on, am I _everybody's _enemy today?"

I loosed my gaze a bit. "No, Jason. I just think you should leave Leo alone."

Jason got angry. "He's my friend, too, Piper! Not just your's!"

"Well, maybe you should treat him like one, then!"

"I am treating him like one!"

I slammed Katoptris down on the bedside table. "Yeah, I'm carrying this! Better watch what you say from now on!"

"Oh-ho-ho...yeah, and that frightens me to no end!"

"Well, it should!"

"Well, it doesn't!"

Neither of us noticed that the Apollo camper left the room, and Leo picked up Katoptris, holding it above his chest.

"Yes, it does! You're lying!" I shouted.

"No, I am not lying! I could do so much worse to you! In fact, I'm holding-"

Just then, Leo's weak voice made an attempt at dominating the room. "Everybody, just shut up! Stop fighting! We're supposed to be friends!"

Jason and I kept on bickering, not even listening to Leo.

"I AM GOING TO DROP THIS KNIFE IF YOU GUYS DON'T STOP FIGHTING!" That got our attention. We looked over and noticed Leo holding Katoptris.

"No, Leo! Don't!" I yelled, desperate for him not to commit suicide.

He looked so pained, I almost couldn't bare to look at him. "Why not? I'm gonna die any time soon now, anyway."

Jason wretched the knife from his grasp and shoved it at me holding the hilt sideways. "Take this, and don't let him have it. I've got to leave, now. Goodbye, friends."

Leo had his eyes locked on me.

A tear traced it's way down my face. "Why would you even think of that, Leo?" I asked him, implying the knife.

He closed his eyes in an attempt to get away. "I don't know, Pipes. I'm not sure of anything right now. The fighting's still ringing in my ears."

I didn't know whether he was talking about Jason and I's fighting, or the war. "I almost lost you once. I'm not going to let it happen again."

He opened his eyes and looked at me sadly. I didn't want to see him like this. It seemed he had lost all hope. Where was the joking, funny, grinning Leo I had met?

His gaze switched from me to the small window on the wall. "Piper, you ever hope that if you weren't there, people would miss you?"

"Um...yeah," I told him, thinking back to the time at a snobby boarding school without my dad. I had been hoping he missed me.

"You ever run away, and find that nobody missed you at all? I have. Plenty of times. No one really ever cares, Pipes. They try to make it seem like they do, but they don't. Everyone's words are always empty. Whenever someone tells you they love you, they don't really mean it. At least, it's like that's when it comes to me."

I almost full-out cried.

"Nobody is there anymore. Nobody that cares. The only person who did died because of me. You know how that feels?"

I didn't reply. There was nothing I could say.

"All life ever is...is pain. ...Heh... You just gotta live your pain," he told me, smiling weakly, joking.

I laughed softly. "I almost thought you were serious there, Valdez.

His smile faded. "I was serious. That part was just so funny, I had to say it."

My laughing faded with his smile. "Oh... Leo?"

"Yeah?"

"Please tell me you didn't mean to say those things. That you didn't actually believe them."

He didn't say anything.

"_Tell me you don't believe them, _Leo."

"I can't."

"What?"

"I can't."

"Why?"

"Because, they're true. No one cares. No one ever has since my mom died."

I looked at him with all seriousness. "I care."

He smiled at me. "Thank you, beauty queen. I hoped you did. Otherwise I'd be living my pain for nothing."

I laughed.

"Well, shoo, now. I've gotta get back to my life-I mean pain."

**Wow...I was getting a bit deep there, huh? I didn't expect that. 'Course, I've been listening to Linkin Park all weekend. I love this song called "BURN IT DOWN" by Linkin Park. It's been on loop since I bought it on Friday. :) I just realized an hour ago (after I turned off loop) that I also bought Iridescent. XD That song's good too. Well, sorry for puttin' a damper on your day with my surprising emo-ness. I seriously don't know where that came from. Okay, now for my closing.**

**Laurels: Well, back to my pain. FLAME ON!**


	4. Chapter 3

**:D I think this one won't be nearly as depressing as the last chapter. Don't worry! (Sorry Jason-fans, he won't be in the story too much. I really hate Jason, and I tried not to make him seem totally OOC and cruel. I believe I succeeded in capturing his personality. Possibly.) Anyways, you guys are L-U-C-K-Y. :D **

**DISCLAIMER: I own that bush. I also own the rights to the Heroes of Olympus. And the Empire State Building. And Norway. And Olympus. And...I think you get the point. (*Note: Laurels DOES NOT, I repeat DOES NOT, own any of the things listed above.**

**Piper's P.O.V.**

I lied on my bed at the end of the day. I was glad Leo had come back, but also worried. His wounds were still clear as a picture in my head. Crimson, bruised, and tinted a sickly green. What if those wounds didn't heal? What if he died? I was uneasy, because according to the color of his injuries, there _was _an involvement with poison. Poison equals bad. From what I heard at the Apollo cabin, poison was one of those things that, when left alone for a while, would most definitely be deadly.

"Go to bed, Piper. Or at least turn out your lights, for the gods' sake!" Drew groaned from across the room.

"Well, sorry for worrying!" I yelled back.

"Excuse me?" Mitchell shouted.

"Okay, everybody's going to stop talking bye the time I end this sentence! They're going to turn out the light, and go to bed!" Drew screamed.

"Well, you already ended the sentence, but you still talked," Lacy pointed out.

"Shut up!" Drew huffed.

After Drew stopped talking, I turned out my light and drifted off to sleep. Of course, though, demigod dreams made it an almost sleepless night for me.

_I was in a dark, dank, and damp cave. There was a giant sitting around a fire, warming himself. About thirty seconds later I realized he took up the entire cave. Literally. The cave was at least nine acres large, and he was on his stomach, crouching down below the cavernous ceiling. He looked angry, not to mention hateful._

_He grinned creepily as he saw that I was there. "Ah, spawn of Aphrodite. So nice of you to join me."_

_I tried to speak back, say a retort and then punch his stupid face. But I couldn't move or speak._

_He kept on smiling evilly. "Your leader, Chiron, believes the war is over, does he not? Well, I'll tell you one thing. It is not over. I have still lived. Even though I...might not attack directly, I will ruin all your precious little fun."_

_I tried to yell, scream out that he was just one big idiot or something._

"_Oh...and I must tell you. That boy you like?" he smirked. "He just got worse. If you don't hand to me three things, I will personally make sure your lover dies."_

_I wondered who he was talking about. Jason wasn't hurt._

"_The three things I want will be...er...Zeus' master bolt, Hades' Helm of Darkness, and Poseidon's trident. You will make sure to get them to me, or he will die a horrible, painful, long death. ...Yes," he hissed, satisfied. "That will suit me perfectly. I will enjoy the boy's death..."_

_He kept on muttering to himself how great that would be to watch. I just stood there, unable to speak, awkwardly. Soon, he looked up again and noticed me. "...Um, why are you still standing there? You are dismissed."_

I woke up in the morning, kind of weirded out. Who was that guy? Who was going to die if I didn't give him those three things?

It was only six o'clock, and I wondered why I even was up this early. I couldn't go back to bed, though, so I quickly dressed. Then I took off to go see how Leo was doing.

As I got closer to the infirmary, I wondered if Leo was doing any better. I walked through the aisle, into the door at the end, opened it, and walked along the hall to find the room Leo was in. When I got there, I opened the door, screamed, and speedily rushed to the side of his bed.

I was startled by how much worse he had gotten overnight. His skin was scarily pale, which was odd since his normal tone was so much different. His eyes were shut tight in pain. He was grasping his chest, gasping for air. He was covered in cold sweat, and his curls stuck to his forehead from the perspiring.

I sprinted out of the infirmary hastily, so worried that he might die. "I NEED A MEDIC!NOW! Someone, please! He's almost dying!"

I probably woke up the entire camp with my screaming, but I didn't care. Soon, several campers from Apollo were running to me. Questions swarmed around me, making me dizzy.

"Where is he?"

"_Who _is he?"

"What condition is he in?"

I answered quickly, but nearly passed out. I couldn't get that image out of my head. Leo, with his usually grinning face contorted in pain, his skin deathly pale, and wounds all over his body. I hurried back into the room Leo was in to make sure he was going to live.

When I got there, Leo was awake. His color was starting to return as quickly as it had gone. His face was no longer pained, but only confused. His chest injury _had _gotten worse, but at least he was still alive. He hadn't seen me, so he looked around at the Apollo campers.

"Where's Piper?" he asked, barely mumbling the words. A few medics turned their heads toward me, and turned back to their work hastily.

I walked over next to the side of his bed that wasn't surrounded by medics, and leaned next to him, careful not to touch him. I didn't want him to be hurt again. But he took my hand and squeezed it for dear life. His grip was fragile, but at least it was there.

He looked me in the eyes. "Did you have the dream with Tityos in it, too?" he muttered weakly.

I furrowed my brow, and suddenly remembered the Greek mythological giant. Tityos, who was about nine acres large. Tityos, who should have been in Tartarus. It all suddenly made sense. I nodded slowly.

He closed his eyes. "He threatened to take you away from me, Pipes. He told me that...that if I didn't give him these...these three things, he would make sure you die."

My eyes widened. Tityos had told me that too... It had to be one of us who died. If one of us didn't get the three things, he would kill either one of us, or even possibly both. "He...he...told me that too, Leo."

"He told you that you'd die?" he asked me, uncertainly.

"No, that _you'd _die if _I_ didn't give him the three things," I corrected him.

"What did he say were _your _three things?"

I frowned. "Hades' Helm of Darkness, Zeus' master bolt, and Poseidon's trident."

Leo paled again. I got panicked and looked for the medics for help. They just shrugged. Leo spoke up. "But...mine were Apollo's bow, the Armour of Achilles, and Aphrodite's magic girdle...whatever a girdle is supposed to be."

This time, I paled. There were my three things, which if I didn't obtain and give to Tityos, Leo would die. Then there were _Leo's _three things, which if he didn't obtain and give to Tityos, _I _would die. Plus, it was kind of impossible for him to search for these things if he couldn't walk. What was he supposed to do, borrow Annabeth's laptop and buy them on Ebay?

Then, suddenly, everything clicked into place. I looked into Leo's eyes, and saw the worry in them. I could sense that that worry wasn't for that he might die, but that I might die. Then, I realized one thing. Even though it was startling, I was okay with it.

Tityos was talking about Leo when he meant my 'lover.'

**Dun, dun, DUUUUNN! Okay, I lied. This chapter was slightly depressing. *starts to wonder when all this Linkin Park will rub off of her* Grr. Why can't my HAPPINESS come back? Well, off to my test review I go. :)**


	5. Chapter 4

**Okay, guys... I won't be able to update this weekend, so I'm updating NOW! YAY! In other news, this story is Leoper (Piper/Leo). If you do not like this pairing, I suggest not reading this. Sorry, readers! :) I'm writing this notice because the..(spoiler alert!)..starts in this chapter. Von Karma requested this. :D**

**DISCLAIMER: Okay, so what if I don't own the Heroes of Olympus series? If I use my IMAAAAAGINAAAAAATION, I can BEEEELIIIIEEEEVE I do! :D**

**Piper's P.O.V.**

"Why can't the Olympian gods and goddesses put their most prized possessions on eBay? It would be _so _much easier!" Leo said from his bed as we searched eBay for the six items we had to find if we didn't want to die.

We both had gotten so desperate over two weeks, we decided to borrow Annabeth's laptop and search eBay in the infirmary. He lied on his side in the cot, and looked over my shoulder as I sat on a wooden chair next to the bed with Annabeth's laptop on my lap. He technically was well enough to walk, but he it still hurt, so he tried to refrain from it.

Leo and I had gotten a little closer, as well. Now that I actually paid more attention to him, and less so on Jason, seeing as Jason was at the Legion Camp, I actually kind of liked him. He still got annoying occasionally, like when he told one too many corny jokes. That happened often. But he was still kind, caring, and humble, so I let that go.

"I mean, seriously! We need it more than they do! We will die someday, they won't! They should just give it to us," Leo told me.

I looked over my shoulder at him. His skin tone had gone back to normal, and his chest wound had gotten a little better as well. His curly black hair was clean, today, and his deep brown eyes reminded me of melted chocolate. He was still dressed in his hospital clothing. I rolled my eyes. "Oh, yeah. They should totally give it to us, so we can give it to Tityos and he can destroy the world. But we'll still survive! Yeah, definitely, they should hand it over to us. Great idea."

He grinned. "Thank you, I knew you'd-" realization crossed his face. "Oh, wait... that was sarcasm. I get it, now."

I laughed and turned back to the computer. The closest thing we'd found so far was a Children's Costume: Aphrodite's Girdle (size 10-12) and Hades' Helm of Darkness (child's one-size-fits-all). Leo burst out laughing when he saw those, and then stopped pretty quickly. Apparently, it's not a good idea to laugh when you have a major chest injury.

Leo grunted and swung his legs around to the other side of the bed. He shoved the covers behind him and walked around to kneel down next to me, which probably hurt as well. Thankfully, the sterile hospital clothing wasn't one of those tie-around gowns that show your behind. It was more so like a male nurse's uniform. He glanced at the computer screen once more, and then told me, "We should get going. Lunch'll be in ten minutes, and I'm a slow walker. In case you haven't noticed."

I looked at his leg and foot to check them today. I had forgotten to do so this morning, and was required by the Apollo cabin to check him every day. His foot, still deformed and slightly scarred, was barely in condition for walking. His leg, in a temporary metal brace similar to his father's, was in better condition than his foot, though still not perfect. "Oh, I've noticed. Trust me," I said, smiling.

He chuckled as I got up. He was still squatting there as I was halfway to the door.

"Um, Leo?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you coming?"

"Yeah...um, I'm kind of stuck."

I smiled wider and took his hands to pull him up. They were warm to the bone. I held his hand as we walked to the dining pavilion, because he wasn't exactly balanced at the moment. If I let go of him, he fell over. This really did happen the first time, and every time I tried to let go, he just squeezed it tighter.

I helped him up the small stairs (he hadn't quite mastered those yet), and led him over to the Cabin Nine's table. Then, I went over to Cabin Ten's and sat down with my siblings.

When the kids saw that I had sat down, they stopped whispering and just smirked, as if they knew something I didn't. "What?" I asked them.

Lacy grinned mischievously. "Oh, nothing. Just talking about how you and Leo are in _loooooove."_

I rolled my eyes and snorted for good measure. "Leo and I? Are you kidding me?"

Drew smiled deviously. "Oh, not in the least, honey... You and Leo are the talk of the camp! You guys are perfect for each other. You with your terrible looks and attitude with Leo, the guy who always smells like motor oil, with his curly hair all over the over the place, and his face and clothes all stained, and his deformed foot and metal brace, and-"

Everyone stared at Drew. I was just downright furious with her. "Oh, really, Drew? You insult a teenager who's younger than you, who just got back from a freaking _war_, about his injuries? Seriously? Honestly, you don't deserve to be alive, you little fancied-up cockroach."

The entire camp was staring at me now listening to my every word. But that didn't stop Drew from being a complete jerk. "Well, his injuries aren't exactly _flattering, _are they? They aren't like Jason's cute little scar on his lip. No, _Leo's _injuries are as ugly as Hephaestus' face."

Leo stared down at his plate, trying not to be noticed. But I knew that Drew had made a dent in his self-esteem. Even if it was small.

Nyssa stood up. "And _your _attitude is as ugly as Kronus. Drew, Aphrodite is _married _to Hephaestus. And she still cheats on him, even though that's obviously extremely terrible! You're just like her," Nyssa said, scowling.

Drew rolled her eyes, clearly unimpressed. "I personally like to be like my mother. She had enough sense to cheat on him, too. I mean, Hephaestus is _sooooo_ ugly, I feel sympathy for my mom being forced to marry him. I even feel bad for Hephaestus sometimes, having to look in the mirror and see what's staring back every day."

"Well, at least my dad is kind and faithful! He even made her a girdle, for crying out loud! He's always making gifts for her!" Nyssa yelled.

"Speaking of Aphrodite's girdle, would you happen to know where that is?" Leo asked quietly. I almost didn't hear him, but I was at the table right next to his, so I did.

Nyssa shook her head quickly, obviously signaling that she didn't know and that this wasn't a good time to ask anyway.

"Well, I-" Drew started, but I decided not to sit here and listen to this conversation. I stood up, and rushed over to Leo. He stuffed some food and his mouth, ad grabbed some more with his hands. Then he carefully tried to get out of the marble bench, narrowly missing catching his brace on the bench. He had tripped like this before, so he had learned to be more cautious.

I took the hand of his that wasn't covered in chicken grease and holding food, and we hurried as fast as we could back to the infirmary.

"Whyg are we leabing?" Leo asked through a mouthful of olive and pepperoni pizza.

"Because I don't want to deal with Drew," I replied.

He swallowed. "How did the argument start, anyway?"

I pursed my lips. "The Aphrodite cabin kind of thinks that...that we're...you know, in a relationship."

Leo looked dumbfounded, and then started to laugh. My face kind of fell, but I tried to hide it. Apparently, I didn't hide it particularly well.

Leo stopped laughing. "Pipes...you're not laughing?"

My brain jumped. "What?"

Leo's eyes widened and he raised his eyebrows, somewhat hopefully. "Never mind. Let's just get back to the infirmary. We've got quite a bit more of eBay check."

**I know that nothing much happened in this chapter. But at least it's something. The next chapter I actually have an idea for...heh heh heh... *maniacal laugh***


	6. Chapter 5

**Another chapter, another smiley face! :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D I'm not going to disclaim this chapter. I already did it once today. :P**

**Piper's P.O.V.**

As I walked into the infirmary the next morning, Leo practically jumped on me. Only, he was still in bed.

"Pipes! Guess what I got?" he said mischievously, obviously excited.

I was kind of scared, to admit the truth. What was it? Was someone in camp actually dumb enough to hand him a sword?

He pulled out a bow and some arrows from under his comforter. He held them out to me proudly.

"And...what am I looking at, again?" I asked him.

He smirked. "Apollo's Bow and Arrows."

I nearly dropped them as realization spread throughout my brain. "Leo! You better not have stolen these, or-"

He rolled his eyes and interrupted me. "Wow, you have no faith in me what-so-ever. I am physically unable to _steal _anything, in case you haven't noticed. Well, without your help. Apollo visited me last night, and handed them to me. He said that he thought he should give them to me because he owed Hephaestus, and I could possibly die while he was immortal. Oh, and he wrote a haiku about me!"

I widened my eyes. "About you?"

"Well, it was mostly about him being awesome... but I was mentioned! That counts as something, right?"

I shook my head, softly laughing. "Well, good job, Leo. Only five more things to go."

Leo bit his lip. "Pipes...about you and Jason...are you still...um, dating?"

I stared at him incomprehensibly. "No. We broke up while you were at war, Leo."

Leo looked kind of happy, but he hid it pretty well. "Oh. Sorry."

I smiled. "It's fine. I broke up with _him, _so it's all good."

Leo focused on some point in the distance. He didn't blink, but when I look at what he was looking at, I didn't see anything interesting. Just a wall. It was almost as if he sensed something was there.

His eyes snapped back to me in an instant, and startled me. "You know, I don't really know what Tityos wants with Aphrodite's girdle. I mean, who does he want to fall in love with him? I'm sorry, but I seriously doubt there are any other nine-acre female giants out there. That are single, anyway."

I laughed.

"Maybe that's why he needs the lightning bolt and trident. The trident to build some giant white horses to ride on so the ladies will like him, and the lightning bolt to tell them that they don't really have a choice anyway. Then, if the girl has a boyfriend, he can use Apollo's bow on the boys. And if the guy's still alive at that point, he'll just put Achilles' armor on, and go all Iron Man on them. Yeah, seems like a pretty likely theory to me."

I grinned. "What, would you do that?"

He looked at me dead serious. "Of course I would."

We both stayed somber for three seconds, and then started laughing hysterically.

"Well, it would definitely work!" I said.

Leo grinned crazily. "It would be so much fun... especially the Iron Man part! I'd be all time-bomb-like, and go-POW! KA-BOOM!-and all that fun stuff. If I tried that, would you think I'm psychotic, Pipes?"

I pursed my lips and rolled my eyes. "Um, yeah. Pretty much."

Leo's eyes went wild. "I am _so _going to try that, then!"

I laughed. "I'd suggest not going through with the time-bomb-like part, though."

Leo faked an expression of hurt. "What, you don't think I should blow up?"

My eyes widened. "Leo, that was one of the most weird sentences I've ever heard you say."

"But it would be so much fun to explode!"

I grinned, almost laughing again.

"Or rather _im_plode. Chiron would kill me if I _ex_ploded. It'd be too messy. He'd probably make me clean myself up."

My eyes widened and eyebrows raised again. "Okay, let's change the subject. This is getting strange..."

He acted like he was thinking really hard. "Okay, how 'bout we talk out My Little Pony instead?"

"Sure, why not?"

"Which one's your favorite?"

"Oh, Wysteria, for sure!"

"Really? I like Rainbow Dash better, personally."

"That's weird. I thought you liked Pinkie Pie. You told me so at the Wilderness School."

"Yeah, well now she's too pink for me. Rainbow Dash has a even amount of every color in the rainbow, so she totally dominates Pony Land."

"Yeah, but rainbows don't smell very good. I think Wysteria's the best, 'cause she always smells like flowers."

"Who ever said rainbows don't smell good?"

"Look rainbows up on Wikipedia. It told me so."

Leo grinned, and then started laughing. "Wikipedia deceives you, Pipes. Wikipedia deceives all of us."

"So?"

"So, you need to make sure that wikipedia doesn't lie before you label the site as reliable!"

"I don't know how to reply to that," I told him.

Leo smirked, as if he won. We didn't talk for a few seconds.

We stared at each other, wondering when the other would speak.

"I'm bored," Leo stated.

"I've noticed."

"Can you go get some scrap metal and tools from my cabin?"

"Sure," I replied, getting up from the end of his bed to go get what he asked for.

**Okay, I know. Super short, super random. Don't judge, okay? I'm running out of ideas!**


	7. Chapter 6

**Hey guys... :D Tell me, how ya been? Haven't updated in a while, I know. But you guys won't review. Sad face. (Those of you who HAVE review, HAPPY FACE! Oh, and cookies. (:::) (:::) (:::) ) This chapter is gonna be not as obnoxiously random as the last. ^-^ But I'm trying to make it a bit humorous! Tell me what you think!**

**DISCLAIMER: D is for DISSED. I is for IGNORED. S is for STUPID. C is for COMPLETELY. L is for LITTLE. A is for AD-LIKE. I is for IDIOTIC. M is for MACHO-NOT! E is for EDUCATIONAL-NOT! R is for RESPECTABLE-NOT! There you go. My disclaimer, disclaimed.**

**Piper's P.O.V.**

As I walked back into the infirmary after getting Leo's tools and scrap metal, I was hit in the head with a random object. I collapsed on the soft grass, and drifted off into dreams.

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_I was standing in that same dark, dank cave that I had been standing in a couple weeks ago. I saw Tityos in that same spot he was before. He looked over at me, grinning evilly._

"_Oh, grand. You're here," he announced._

_I tried to talk, but unlike last time, I succeeded. "And why is that?"_

"_I just wanted to tell you about the due date."_

"_Excuse me? You never mentioned a due date."_

"_Exactly. Which is why I'm telling you now, because I forgot to tell you," he explained._

"_And when was this due date that you planned out so carefully?"_

"_Well, it _was _going to be tomorrow...like, today's tomorrow..."_

"_What?"_

"_But since I forgot to warn you on Saturday, I'll extend it to the day _after _tomorrow."_

"_Gee, thanks."_

"_So, tell me. How's your progress?" he asked me, smiling menacingly._

"_Oh, let's see...there was that one Apollo gave us...add the two...subtract the two... Yeah, we have one," I said sarcastically._

"_WHAT? You foolishly foolish fool who foolish believes that the two foolishly foolish fools don't have a foolishly foolish due date! I mean, come on! You can do better than _that!" _He exclaimed._

"_They're possessions of the gods. What, did you expect us to find them on Amazon with free shipping?"_

"_Well, thou hast to find them, anyways."_

_I raised my dream eyebrows. "Since when were you into the medieval times?"_

"_Since I found out some medieval guy painted a portrait of me! Well, it represented my eternal punishment in the underworld, but still. A sweet gesture. That's probably the best part of coming back from the dead. Meeting your fanclub!" he clapped excitedly._

_I snorted._

"_Well, goodbye, my foolish demigod! Oh, and you may want to put some ice on that concussion of yours," he waved._

"_What concussion?" I asked, and then I woke up._

∆˚∂¬´ß®œ∑øπ˜∫√çå

I woke up in a cot, in the infirmary. Leo sat on the cot next to mine, and nodded his head. "'Sup," he said.

I started to sit up, but my head started throbbing like crazy. I decided it would be best to lie down. I sunk underneath my covers and looked at Leo across from me.

He was fiddling with the tools and metal I had gotten him absentmindedly. How he had received then since I had been knocked out by a random object, I don't know.

"What happened?" I asked.

He sniffed. "Uh, I think you were hit in the head by a…a brick, I think."

I frowned. "A brick? But there aren't even any brick buildings in camp. Only marble and wood. Where did the brick come from?"

He shrugged. "Olympus? Did you annoy any immortal gods lately?"

I shook my head. "I don't think I have. But, immortal? What, did you think I annoyed any mortal gods lately?"

He rolled his eyes. "Oh, yeah, totally. I definitely believe you annoyed a bunch of selfish, oddly mortal gods."

"What exactly are you implying?"

"That a lot of mortals are pretty selfish. That is why I asked you to go get my tools and such. So I can make myself some inanimate objects. They don't question me or talk back."

"Leo, they can't talk what-so-ever."

"Exactly. Which also means that they don't question me or talk back."

I raised my eyebrows. "Alrighty then, Repair Boy..."

Leo snorted. "See? This is what I'm talking about. None of that sarcasm or anything from inanimate objects."

I pursed my lips and gave up. "Okay, fine. You're right."

About five whole minutes of silence passed until Leo spoke up. "So, Pipes, how's your head feeling?"

"Painful."

He shot me a lopsided grin at my response. "Hah...good one."

"I'm telling you the truth."

"I know. Hang in there, okay? Don't want my Beauty Queen going back into unconsciousness."

"_Your _Beauty Queen? Since when am I _yours?_" I asked him.

He looked up straight ahead. "Oh. Sorry…I just…just thought, uh,"

I smiled. "It's alright."

Leo fiddled with his metal and screwdriver. "Um, Pipes?"

"Yeah?" I asked him.

He bit his lip. "In…in my dream…Tityos called you my, uh…girlfriend, I guess. I know it's totally crazy, but what did he call me in your's?"

I wasn't startled by this, as Tityos had called him my…"Boyfriend."

Leo's head shot to the side, furrowing his brows. "What?"

"He called you my boyfriend. Weird, huh?"

Leo bit his lip again. "But…you know, he is in touch with the fates. Do you think he might mean what I think he's meaning?"

I nodded my head slowly. "Yeah, if you think he means we're…we're supposed to be…um, together."

He looked over at me in relief. "Oh, so we're on the same page."

I nodded my head.

He looked back down at his contraption. "_So…_do you think we should be…you know, together?"

I smiled. "Um, let's go with yes, since the fates think we should."

Leo wore his crazy grin. "Yay…" he muttered.

I laughed, which made my head hurt even more. But I didn't care.

Now it was my turn to bite my lip. "Oh, and while I was unconscious, by the way, Tityos gave us a due date."

"A _due date?_" he asked, confused.

"Yeah. And that due date is the day after tomorrow."

"Oh, joy. What fun."

"So, if we don't have five more possessions of the gods by midnight on the day after tomorrow, we're dead."

"Either one of us dies, or we both die, depending on how many things we _do _find. Awesomenessisms."

"Yup."

We stared at each other, wondering what we were going to do.

**YAY! LEOPER! YAY! Okay, you guys better review! Pretty, pretty please? WITH LEO ON TOP?**


	8. Chapter 7

**Hey guys! :D Wazzup? You can tell me in a review! PLEASE.**

**Disclaimer: I don't think Rick RIordan would miraculously give me the rights to the Heroes of Olympus. Maybe the rights to the MOVIE, 'cause I would make it better than the Lightning Thief, but book? No.**

**Piper's P.O.V.**

"So, do we like, kiss now? Or do we tell each other about our feelings first?" Leo asked me randomly, breaking the silence.

I furrowed my brows. "Um, Leo... I don't think this is the time."

"Oh."

I smiled, almost laughing. Then, I looked at the clock. "We missed dinner."

Leo snapped. "Dang it. How long ago was it?"

"About four hours ago."

Leo's eye widened. "Jeez, it's that late? Well, goodnight, Pipes. I'll go turn off the lights."

Leo got out of bed, and he slowly but surely made his way to the other side of the room. He flipped off the light switch, and walked back to his bed. I pushed myself under the covers just as he muttered, "Goodnight, Beauty Queen."

After about ten minutes, I turned to lie on my side, and I took note of Leo's sleeping form. He almost looked innocent in his sleep. His eyes closed lightly, his head turned to the side. The only thing that ruined his aurora of innocence was his tenseness and heavy breathing. It almost made me sad that he was still on guard even in his sleep.

I fell asleep with his image burning into my mind.

_I inwardly groaned. I was back in dream form. Then I realized that my mother was standing about six feet away from me._

"_Oh, hi, mom," I said._

_She turned around, and she looked a bit different than she looked last time. She looked ghostly, and...vaguely unlike me. She had curly, messy-ish black hair, and a beautiful, yet tired-looking face. It was deeply lined, and had motor oil smudges on it. Her clothes were plain: only jeans and a white tee. They were also stained with grease and...were those burns? Her eyes were deep brown, and unchanging. Her skin tone was the same of that of Leo. It was then that I realized that she wasn't my mom, she was Leo's mom. "I mean, Leo's mom," _

_She smiled genuinely, looking exhausted. "Hello, Piper McLean. I wanted to address you about your little _problema_. You know, the one Tityos cooked up for you and Leo?"_

_She seemed so kind and real, I almost thought she was prettier than my mom. I nodded in response to her._

"_Well, I have something you need," she explained._

_I furrowed my eyebrows. "What do you mean? How can you have something valuable to the gods? I mean, no offense or anything, but you're mortal."_

_She smiled the signature Valdez crocodile grin, and I instantly saw a nearly creepy resemblance to Leo. "No offense taken. But, I have Aphrodite's girdle."_

"_WHAT?"_

_She laughed. "Shocking, I know. Hephaestus gave it to me. He took it back from his wife after he first found out that Aphrodite...er, cheated on him. With Ares. He gave it to me in the form of a tool belt, but I never actually used it. Only used it to hold wrenches and screwdrivers. And to remind me of him," she said, smiling. Her accent was light, but apparent._

_My eyes widened. "You have it?"_

"_Yep."_

"_And you're going to give me it?"_

"_Sí. Of course. Otherwise, you'd both die," she grinned._

"_So, how are you going to give it to me? I mean, you're in the...um, underworld."_

"_When you wake up, it'll be on the nightstand. I arranged something with Hades. He was surprisingly nice," she told me._

"_Oh. Thank you," I said._

_She grinned. "Well, I wouldn't want you two to _die!_"_

_We stood there for a few seconds awkwardly. "Um, how's Leo?" she asked me._

"_He's doing well. We're actually in a relationship," I replied._

_She pursed her lips. "My little _mijo _is growing up. You two make a cute couple."_

"_But...Mrs. Valdez, um, your son kinda thinks he killed you."_

_She looked like she just remembered something. "Oh! Yes! That is what I was going to ask you to tell him. Now I remember. _Chica, _when you wake up, please tell Leo that I love him, and that I miss him. And that he wasn't the cause of my death, that was Gaea. I'm going to try to arrange another dream with Hades, so that I can visit him. Hoping he'll say yes."_

_I smiled. "I'll remember to tell him that. He'll be happy to hear from you. He's been beating himself up for years, running away from foster homes, thinking you died because of him. He's cried at least six times in my presence."_

_Her eyes saddened. "I miss my little lion. Always so sweet and willing to help. So smart. So energetic and joyful."_

_She was startled by something unapparent to me. She turned to me quickly. "Hades is saying the dream was too long. I must go. Don't forget to tell Leo what I told you, Piper!"_

_And just like that, the dream ended._

**I know it's terribly short, but I didn't want to switch point of views AGAIN. That would be ridiculous. And I still have to update on my other fanfiction (the Boy from District Three fic). So, this is what you have, until tomorrow, when I will update again! :D**


	9. Chapter 8

**:D Okay guys. This is possibly the only time in the entire story that the chapter will be in Leo's P.O.V. So embrace it. ;D**

**Disclaimer: Even though I probably love Leo Valdez EVEN MORE THAN RICK, I don't own him. Stinks, I know. **

**Leo's P.O.V.**

Well. The gods must have thought we were one gigantic charity case, because they kept giving us all of their most prized possessions. It made me think of a last minute gift idea for the gods. _Oh, hey! I'm gonna be out of town on your birthday, so here. You get to keep your life. This year._

Anyway, my dream went like this:

_I was underwater, and yet I could breathe. I was in some sort of palace, oddly enough. I tried to talk, ask who's there, but all that came out was bubbles._

_Then I saw the god standing in front of me._

_The immortal had deeply tanned skin and scary white teeth. His black hair was windswept, and his green eyes sparkled with humor. He was holding a trident dearly, as if he were afraid I'd steal it. Then it suddenly came to me. He was Poseidon, Percy's dad, holding the trident that I needed to keep my life._

_I made the most intelligent comment in the world. "Glub?"_

_Poseidon laughed heartily. Surprisingly, he was able to talk. And it didn't come out in a bunch of bubbles. "Oh, your probably one of my favorite sons of Hephaestus ever. So intelligent, yet actually humorous. I have to say that Hephaestus is also one of my favorites amongst the gods. Very helpful. But don't tell anyone that. I'm not supposed to take sides."_

"_Glaaaaaaaaaarg!" I said, attempting to say a simple "Yay," but obviously failing._

_There was a moment of awkwardness._

_I gestured slowly, due to the water, at his trident. "Gurg?"_

_Poseidon hugged his trident, staring at me with wide eyes. "Oh, definitely not. I cannot let you have _my _trident. But I do have something for you..." he told me. He reached into the pocket of his cargo shorts, and he pulled out...Zeus' master bolt._

_I made a squeak of excitement and started to float up and down in the water. How gravity still worked and brought me down here, I do not know. He handed it to me, and I smiled crazily. I probably looked like a madman who'd go up and down the streets of Manhattan zapping random citizens._

_Poseidon smiled. "I thought you'd be excited. Zeus let me borrow it for the weekend. Sucker."_

_I was too busy stroking the outer casing of the bolt to pay attention to him._

"_Well, I should let you go now. You'll probably want to tell your girlfriend about your getting the Master Bolt...I know I would." Poseidon grinned, and just like that, I woke up._

When I woke up, I turned on my side. I grabbed the most valuable object in terms of power on earth that was on the nightstand. "Hey...pst...Piper...you awake?" I asked in a hushed tone.

She moaned. "Now I am. What do you want, Leo?"

I grinned. "I got the Master Bolt." I waved the bolt in the air.

She turned on her side and grabbed something also on the bedside table. "Great. I just received Aphrodite's girdle from your mom."

I looked at it as close as I could from my bed, which was hard in the dark. "So, a girdle is a tool belt?"

"Not usually. But it's usually some sort of belt. Hephaestus just gave it to your mom in the form of a tool belt."

Realization spread over me as soon as she said "mom." "You...you spoke with my mother?" I asked Piper, shakily.

She regarded me sadly. "It's not like that, Leo. She's trying-"

I lied back down on my bed, staring at the ceiling. "She must be afraid of me. I killed her, so that's understandable," I muttered sadly.

Unfortunately, Piper heard me. "Leo, she was only allowed one dream with _me. _It wasn't because she's afraid of you, or anything like that. In fact, she's trying to get Hades to allow her another dream. With you. She told me to tell you that she misses you, and that she loves you. And that she doesn't blame you, Leo. She says it was all Gaea. Everything bad that ever happened to you."

I glared at her. "Piper, you don't know my life. You haven't been with me the entire road. Don't act like you have. You have no idea what happened to me, and you never will."

Her face sank. I could see that, instead of being sad, she was worried. "Leo, is this all it takes to break you apart? One word? 'Mom'?"

My face hardened. "You don't know me, Piper."

She just rolled her eyes. "You have seriously been acting like a girl lately."

I raised my eyebrows. "Excuse me?"

"You keep switching personalities. One day you're Mister Sunshine-Fun-Time, and the next you're Mister-My-Life-Stinks. What is wrong with you?" she asked, scowling.

I just shrugged. "I don't feel like arguing anymore. Let's quit this."

She smiled. "Thank you."

I looked at my nightstand in disdain. "You know what's weird?"

"What?"

"I haven't gotten even _one _'Get Well' card filled with cash, and it's been over two weeks. What's up with that? All these patients in hospitals are always raking in the green, but I'm sitting here, bedridden, with no money what-so-ever. I find that annoying," I told her.

She laughed. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, I haven't gotten one either."

I shook my head. "Nah, that doesn't make me feel better. You got in here just today."

She just shook her head, giggling. "I think we should get back to bed. It's the middle of the night."

I bit my lip. "Yeah, that'd probably be advisable. Night, Beauty Queen."

" 'Night, Valdez."

And with that, I drifted back off into dreams. Where another god was waiting for me. At this point, I wasn't surprised.

_I was on Olympus, with a huge, imposing, blue-eyed male standing directly in front of me. He was wearing a pinstripe suit, as if to make him seem like he was some serious business associate. However, his shoulder-length dark hair didn't quite complete the look. He looked similar to Poseidon, but still with long hair._

_I snapped my fingers. "Zeus!" I yelled out randomly._

_The man raised his eyebrows. "Yes. I believe that _is _my name. Surprising, yes?"_

_I grinned sheepishly. "Uh...I was just–"_

_Zeus waved his hand to silence me. "We should get to the point. I have something for your little...problem."_

_I raised my eyebrows. "You know 'bout that thing Piper and me have going on with TItyos? Lemme guess, you were going to give us one of your most valuable possessions, right?" _

"_Well, not one of mine personally. More like one of my relative's personally."_

"_Oh." _

_He quickly took out something he was holding behind his back and thrust it to me. "You need this."_

_I grabbed it and realized that Zeus had handed me Poseidon's trident. "Wait a minute, did you–"_

_He interrupted me. "I asked Poseidon if I could borrow it for the weekend. He surprisingly did in return for borrowing my bolt. Weird, yes?"_

_I tried to hide my smirk. "Oh, yes, definitely weird."_

_The king of the gods looked relieved. "Finally. Someone understands me."_

_I grinned crazily. "So, what's up with this? All you guys are giving us your most prized possessions. Is it just 'cause you think Piper and me make awesome demigods and don't want us to die?" _

_What surprised me is that Zeus laughed in my face. "Oh, you didn't think we'd actually give you both back-ups, did you?"_

_My confused face shined through. "What?"_

_Zeus laughed even harder. "You didn't actually think that us gods would own these incredibly valuable items without _back-ups. _Seriously. We wouldn't have all this power anymore if we didn't have back-ups. Otherwise, all of those silly little Titans and giants would have already ruined us!"_

_I looked surprised. "Ooh-kay...just gonna find my way out of this dream now...yeah. Bye, grandfather dearest, er whatever I would call you."_

_Zeus was too busy laughing to say anything. He just waved._

_And then I woke up._

**FIN. Alrighty, another chapter done ahead of time! YEAH! WOO! DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW!**


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9 in the running! WOO! I just ate pizza, so I'm happy. Pizza always makes me happy. That and ice cream...and frosting, and cookies (without raisins), and spaghetti, and buttered noodles, and granola, and dark chocolate, and...well, you get the point. ^-^ I love music, too. (Preferably rock/alternative and instrumental. I hate all that bubblegum pop and boy bands and country. Except Taylor Swift!)**

**Disclaimer: Contrary to popular belief, I am not in possession of the rights to the Heroes of Olympus series. Sorry. Stinks, I know. You obviously thought I was Rick Riordan, with my incessant freaking out about Leo Valdez. Yeah, definitely.**

**Piper's P.O.V.**

When I woke up, my head felt completely healed. I turned on my side and looked at Leo, who was clutching the Master Bolt and...Poseidon's Trident? He was still fast asleep, but I noticed something different while he was sleeping. He surprisingly wasn't fidgeting like he usually is. His curly brown hair looked especially untamed, and his skin looked slightly clammy, as if he hadn't showered in a couple days. Come to think of it, he probably hadn't.

He coughed a little, and then his eyes fluttered open. He grinned. "Pipes, Zeus likes me."

"What do you mean?" I asked him.

"Zeus totally just gave me his brother's trident."

"Ooh. Fun," I replied.

I sat up. "So, we have the trident, the bolt, the girdle, and the bow and arrows. We still have two more things left. Um, the helm and the armor. Any ideas as to where they might be, Leo?"

Leo started to shake his head, and then changed his mind and nodded. "I believe I know where the armor is."

My eyes widened. "You do?"

He smiled. "Yep. Come on, follow me," he said. He slowly pulled himself out of bed, his mechanical brace freezing up in the process. He reached down and loosed it, and then he continued on toward the door. I quickly swung myself out of the cot and hurried to Leo, as he nearly fell. I squeezed his hand as he led me to wherever the armor was.

He waddled on, leading me into the woods after ten minutes of walking. We walked for what seemed like forever in silence, until we came to a stop in front of a limestone cliff. Leo pressed the hand that wasn't grasping mine against the rock. A doorway opened and led us into Bunker Nine.

"What are we doing here, Leo?" I asked him.

He said nothing, and let go of my hand. He struggled and stumbled to get over to the other side of the room. When he got there, he traced his right index finger on the concrete wall, making a square outlines in flames. It opened up to a small crevice, where some pretty intense bronze armor looked like it had been sitting there for centuries.

Leo pulled the armor out, setting his other hand on the wall for support. He made his way back over to me. When he got to me, he handed me the armor. He nodded curtly, and then he walked out the door of Bunker Nine.

When we got back to the infirmary, Leo plopped down on his bed. "Well, that was a fun fieldtrip!" he exclaimed.

I smiled. "Well, I guess _I'm _not dying, but what about you? How do we find Hades's Helm of Darkness?"

He shrugged. "Ask Hades."

I rolled my eyes. "Oh, gee, never would've thought of that."

"That's why I'm here, Pipes," he said.

"Wait a minute...if we don't get Hades's helm, you die. Why are you so laid back?"

He looked at me in the eyes. "Beauty Queen, you're going to live. As long as you're still here, my life is complete. It doesn't matter if I die, because no one would care anyway. Other than you. But if _you _died, everyone would be devastated. You have a family and a life. I don't. You deserve life."

I could've both punched him and kissed him at that moment, there were so many mixed feelings in my head. "You deserve life, too."

He shook his head. "No, I don't."

I gave up, knowing it was no use to argue. I checked the clock, startlingly realizing that it was already three o'clock in the afternoon. "How did that happen?" I asked Leo, pointing at the clock.

"I dunno. I'm guessing we woke up around two. Spent an hour finding the armor, probably," he explained.

"But...but that means we only have nine more hours to get the helm!"

He bit his lip. "Oh, well."

I sighed deeply, trying to calm down. "Well, I guess we'll have to Iris-message Hades. We should try to persuade him. Even if it takes three hours."

*nine hours later*

"Well, that backfired horribly," Leo said weakly. He hadn't talked the entire time. I had used every ounce of charmspeak magic I had to persuade Hades, and it still hadn't worked.

His sudden noise caused me to turn around and look at him. His face was as pale as it was those couple weeks ago. His skin was sweaty and clammy, his eyes glassy. His dark curls were splayed across his forehead with perspire weighing them down. The usual mile-wide grin was down to a centimeter-wide smile. His breathing was beginning to be labored, and he struggled to keep eyes open.

I walked over to his bedside and sat down next to him, putting my hand up against his forehead. It was terribly heated with fever. "Leo, are you feeling okay."

He shut his eyes. "I feel...just fine, Pipes."

"You're lying."

He tried for a smile. "No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are. I should know." I glanced at the clock, suddenly realizing it was midnight, the deadline for Tityos.

"Piper..." Leo whispered.

"What?" I asked him.

"Don't worry 'bout me."

"Leo, you're going to die."

"Whoever said that was a bad thing?"

"Uh, me?"

He grinned sadly. "No, you didn't..." He shut his eyes one last time, and his heart stopped. Literally.

"Valdez! No...Leo..." I cried. A tear dropped on Leo's shirt, and I realized it was mine. How was I supposed to live now? Living without Leo is like being alive when there's no sun. The tears came down faster than ever. I counted the seconds.

When Leo had been officially dead for about two minutes, Hades, Lord of the Dead, walked into the room. He frowned at Leo's limp form. "Oh, no. That won't do. He won't stop annoying and pestering me in the Underworld. How am supposed to live with that?"

I glared at him.

He sighed, and handed some sort of helmet over to me. "Take it. Get him out of my life."

"It's too late–" I started to say, and then Tityos surprisingly walked in.

"Ooh, goody. Thanks," Tityos said, grabbing the items.

When they both walked out the door, minute after hour passed.

But Leo was as still and silent as before.

**DUN DUN DUUUUUUUN. Yeah, I JUST RIPPED YOUR HEART OUT! (possibly.) THAT'S WHAT A GOOD AUTHOR ALWAYS DOES! WOO! (Okay, hold on, guys. There are still a few more chapters left. Don't lose faith. AND WHATEVER YOU DO, DO NOT STOP READING THIS. I'm serious. I will not disappoint. ^-^) Please review, all you silents!**


	11. Chapter 10

**Hey guys...I ran out of ideas for a while. :P But my best friend, von Karma, helped me develop something AWESOME that makes a whole bunch more chapters for you guys! YAY! RIGHT? :D**

**DISCLAIMER: I own the rights! To this fanfic! (What, you actually thought I meant for the series?)**

**Piper's P.O.V.**

I sat by Leo's bedside, crying. I didn't hear Chiron come in a couple hours later to check his pulse.

"He's alive," Chiron announced, astonished.

I looked at him like he was crazy. "What are you–" Then I saw Leo. His chest was gently pushing up a down. He was breathing.

I gasped. "Why isn't he awake yet?"

Chiron looked at Leo's sleeping form sadly. "Leo Valdez is in a coma at the moment. Only the fates know how long he'll be in the coma."

"W-what?" I stuttered.

"He may not be awake for weeks, Piper. The coma will probably only last a week. But he will need someone to take care of him for the time being."

I looked at Leo, not listening to Chiron.

"Would you like to take care of Leo, Piper?" Chiron asked me.

My head snapped to the side. "Of course I would, Chiron. I'd be happy to."

Chiron thanked me and wheeled himself out the door. He stopped in the doorway and told me, "There will be someone that will bring you a washcloth, meals, and other hygienic items for Leo. You will have to fix him up with all those items."

I reassured him that I would and thanked him. He fully disappeared after that.

I sat down next to Leo, and grabbed my comb. I started to comb the tangled, curly mess that was Leo's hair. Slowly, I made progress.

Soon, a kid from Apollo brought in a tray with a bowl of oatmeal and a glass of water with a lid on it. Another brought in a tray with a large bowl of hot, soapy water and a dry wash cloth. He also gave me a few other needed things, such as a tooth brush.

I took the dry cloth and dipped it in the water. I cautiously wiped his face clear of grime and dirt. I did the same with his hands, feet, and arms, but did not do so with his legs, because they were covered by his cotton pants.

I took the bowl of oatmeal in my hands and the spoon with me to his bedside. I sat on a chair next to his cot. I scooped a spoonful of oatmeal out of the bowl, and I opened his mouth gently. Then I softly spooned the oatmeal into his mouth. I made sure he swallowed before giving him more.

As I cared for him, I realized that I missed him more than I thought I did. Seeing his face without the grin almost depressed me. It was ultimately the fact that he couldn't talk to me, make me feel better about myself than I'd ever felt. His very waking presence made me shine. I looked down at him sadly, planting a kiss on his forehead.

His lip quivered a bit, and I got hopeful that he would wake up. But he did no such thing. My heart sank. I pet his newly-combed curls, muttering, "Leo, what am I gonna do with you?"

Soon, I heard the conch horn sound, meaning I had to go to breakfast. I took Leo's hand and quickly squeezed it, and then I was on my way to the dining pavilion.

I smiled at the Hephaestus cabin's table as I walked by, and sat down next to Mitchell at the Aphrodite table. Mitchell looked at me strangely. "Did Leo refuse to get up again?"

I looked at my lap, not knowing if I should reply or not. Much less what to reply with. "Um, Leo kind of died, and then came back to life again. He's in a coma right now," I replied, as if it were perfectly normal.

Mitchell furrowed his brows, but decided not to respond. I guess it wasn't too surprising. I mean, this was _Leo _we were talking about. He'd done some pretty strange things.

I poured some of my Frosted Flakes **(flakes are always better when they're frosted!)** into the bronze brazier, and went on with my usual breakfast.

I looked down sadly at my orange juice, wishing Leo was awake. I kept replaying the old scenes in my head: That time when I helped Leo conduct a prank at the Wilderness School; when Leo and I had saved the world, and we both celebrated alone with two liters of Mountain Dew while the others drank some sort of sparkling grape juice stuff (that was _crazy. _Giving Leo Mountain Dew is not a good idea.); when I hung out with Leo for an entire day in Bunker Nine. No matter what I did, I couldn't get Leo's goofy grin out of my head. I couldn't stop hearing his roaring laugh, or the sound of his nearly obnoxiously loud voice. I couldn't stop smelling motor oil, and then turning around just to see no one there.

When I got back to the infirmary, I saw Leo again. I made a small smile, knowing he wouldn't return favor with his.

I took in his every feature, and etched it into my brain. Those moments were still on loop. I couldn't get them out. My thoughts lead me to remember one of the best weeks of my life.

_Leo grinned excitedly from the seat over me in my dad's private jet. He had stuffed a plate high with food, and was already setting up _King of Sparta _on the DVD player. I rolled my eyes and laughed as the movie started._

"_Thanks again, Pipes," he told me graciously._

"_Well, even Jason had somewhere to go. You didn't think I'd leave you alone for Christmas, did you, Valdez?" I replied, smiling._

_He furrowed his brows and kept on grinning. "I've been alone on Christmas for about seven years. I always run away before winter comes around."_

"_Well, that was before you met me," I said._

_His smiled grew wider. "You're the best friend I've ever had, Beauty Queen. You know that, right?"_

"_I would expect to be nothing less."_

I pursed my lips as tears came rolling down again. That had been the best Christmas I'd ever had, because not only was my dad home the entire week, Leo was there, too.

So far, there was one definite thing I was sure of. And that was that I was for sure in love with Leo Valdez.

**YAY. Finished! :D**


	12. Chapter 11

**Okay, guys. I am VERY sorry this wasn't posted sooner… But it was deleted somehow two times. The second time, it was over 2,000 words WITHOUT the author's note! :P But, whatever. Just gotta suck it up and WRITE. :)**

**Replies:**

**FireofRiptide: I AM GLAD IT WAS EMOTIONAL FOR YOU. Once, I full out cried while reading a fanfiction. It was one where Leo died…sooo….yeah. XD Anyways, as you can see, I am trying to post soon. Although, I am not sure how long this will take to write… I get distracted very easily, so it usually takes a ridiculous amount of time. :P**

**daughterofposeidon917: Hey, they're my gods too! …Did you get it? Yes, no, maybe so? Eh. My jokes CAN be terrible… HOWEVER, how can I forget you guys? Especially when there's that little voice in my head that keeps nagging. "You haven't updated." "Update, now. While people still put up your semi-idiotic plot-line." "Stop talking to yourself, and just WRITE already!" To be honest, I'm happy Leo's alive too. Just…Piper's being a bit…dramatic. :P Inspiration these days. It's not liking me. At times. :P**

**calypso1211: I seldom log in. (Wow. Nice old-timey word there! Okay, not even sure if I used it correctly, but …ugh. I meant I don't usually log in. So… if that's right, please tell me.) It's too time-consuming. But thank you SOOOO much! I'm so happy that you like my story as much as I like yours! :)**

**moon over manifest: I will update soon! ...and by soon, I mean NOW! :D**

**jasper: I know. THAT POOR, LITTLE, SOBBING PIPER! Why, WHY MUST SHE, of all people, SUFFER? Okay, don't worry. Leo's waking up soon. Don't want to give away anything…but sorry. It won't be in THIS chapter. I have plans… *maniacal laughter***

**MashPotatoeSquishBanana: DON'T CRY. MORE WILL COME SOON. (Which is now, if you aren't paying attention.) Anyways, thanks SOOOO much for the suggestion! It does kinda seem like they're in their own little bubble… heh…heh… Percabeth is REALLY cute! :D And I have a really good idea for the incorporation of it!**

**annabethjohnson: Can you clarify? I don't understand what you meant. I would love to answer everyone's questions if I can!**

**Sorry for the ridiculously long replies. Don't worry. Here's comes the healthily (is that a word…?) long story! :D WOW. Those replies took twenty-five minutes! I really am getting distracted.**

**Piper's P.O.V.**

I was startled when Percy walked in, hand in hand with Annabeth. They both looked concerned, and they definitely had a right to be worried. They seemed to notice Leo's unease, even if he was sleeping.

Annabeth escaped from Percy's grasp and slipped toward me, sitting in a wooden chair. "Are you alright? I mean, I knew he was your best friend—"

"_Is_ my best friend, and _is_ also my…my…" I faltered. I was very unaccustomed to saying it.

"Is also your what?" Percy asked.

I blinked. "He's also my boyfriend."

They both stared at me in disbelief. "Since when?" Annabeth asked.

"A while ago, actually. You know, _before_ that whole part when he died, and came back to life, and then went into a coma. Wow, this is sounding more and more like soap opera."

Percy and Annabeth's hands intertwined themselves once more. "I didn't know you two were together," Percy stated.

"Well, yeah. We are," I said.

Percy's gaze shifted to Leo again. "He doesn't look like he's having a fun time, you know, sleeping. I think he's having nightmares or something, by the looks of it."

"Yeah, I know. I just wish I knew what the nightmares were about, he seems so uneasy and tense."

"Didn't he invent something for that? _The Dreaming, _er…something like that?" Percy asked.

Annabeth looked straight at Percy, somewhat surprised. "Wow, Seaweed Brain. That's some novel thinking!"

Percy looked very proud with himself. "I try."

I was startled yet again. "How did I not think of that?"

Percy raised his eyebrows. "Um, maybe it was because you aren't as awesome as me. Okay, just kidding. Seriously."

Annabeth looked at Percy again, incredulous. "You can't say, 'Seriously,' after saying, 'Just kidding.' It's an unspoken rule!"

"And why not?"

Annabeth laughed. "Because 'Seriously' rules out the words, 'Just kidding.' That's why!"

Percy rolled his eyes. "Same difference!"

"Hey, listen, guys. I would _love _to sit here and listen to you, but I need you to babysit Leo," I told them.

Percy stared at me. "But, Piper, he's asleep. What's he gonna do, explode in a spontaneous rage?"

I shrugged. "I dunno. Just, watch him. Please. There needs to be someone here if he wakes up. I'm gonna go get _the Dreaming_."

Annabeth nodded, motioning for me to hurry. Which I did.

I ran across camp, passing confused demigods and puzzled satyrs alike. I sprinted up to the Hypnos cabin, walking right in, saying, "I need this, thanks, bye," as I took Leo's invention.

I passed confused demigods and puzzled satyrs alike once again as I headed back to the infirmary. The weight of the machine slowed me down.

When I finally got there, I set the heavy contrivance down on Leo's bedside table. Annabeth and Percy took the hint and left, muttering their quick goodbyes. The contraption was a mish-mash of various metals making a large box, much of it being different colored strips of cheap, scrap material. It has two covered wires coming from either side, each attached to a pair of headphones. There didn't seem to be anything special about it. A sharpie used by Leo's own hand seemed to have messily scrawled the words, "The Dreaming—Property of Leo Valdez," across the top.

Seeing this made me think of another time, when Leo had given me something that was a great stride in Camp Half-Blood's cellphone issues.

InCaseYouGuysDidn'tNotice,ThisIsALineBreak. Yay. :D

_Leo sprinted up the hill, yelling, "Piper! Piper, wait up!"_

_I turned around, just in time to see a certain Leo Valdez running up to me, covered in machine grease oil._

_His usual crazy grin was plastered across his face at this very moment. "Got something for you," he said, panting. He took what looked to be an iPhone out of his pocket._

_"Leo, cellphones aren't allowed at camp. How did you even get an iPhone?" I asked._

_He tilted his head to the side. "It isn't an iPhone, Pipes. This is the "LV-is-a-Mastermind 8!" Built with all the same features and style of an iPhone, yet still trademark. I made it so demigods could have cellphones. They aren't traceable by monsters."_

_"Wait, eight as in the eighth edition, or the eighth one made?"_

_He grinned somewhat sheepishly. "Well, it's kinda both. You see, I've been making a bunch of prototypes lately. That's the eighth one I've made."_

_"What happened to the other seven?"_

_"Um… they kinda… exploded."_

_I nearly dropped the phone. "Excuse me?"_

_"Well… the first seven were a bit flammable… and I was the one who was testing them out. So, you can see how that went. But I'm working on a not-so-flammable version of it! However, it isn't exactly going well. It keeps yelling at me in foreign languages. For example, it told me that I was a 'wahnsinnige.' Whatever that is. I think it's German. It doesn't even yell at me in Spanish. It's always Bulgarian, Portuguese, German, French, Japanese, Chinese, whatever. It's starting to make my head hurt._

_"Speaking of that, I probably need to get back to work. Bye, Pipes!"_

_And with that, Leo ran back down the hill, in the direction of Bunker Nine._

Liiiiinebreak!Ah-ha-ha-ha-Liiiiiiinebreak!

I braced myself for what I was about to do. Then, I put on the headphones, and put the other pair on Leo's head. Then, I was plunged into Leo's dreams.

Line breaking.

I opened my eyes cautiously. I didn't expect the machine to work this way. It was just like a demigod dream. I couldn't move on my own, and I couldn't talk, either. But I could definitely see and hear just fine.

Leo was pinned to a rocky, cave wall, with rope for restraints. His hands were in flames, and he was oddly enough dressed in an ancient Greek gladiator-like outfit. His curly black hair was somehow, some way tamed. This was very strange because it was _never _like that. Plus, perspiration was forming on his face in desperation. His face was contorted with emotion, worry, and doubt. His brown eyes were wilder than ever.

Then, I noticed the movie-theater-like screen on the opposite wall. It was bordered in orange fire, and what it played was the part that scared me most.

It showed a scene that I somehow recognized. It was of a small, young, probably eight-year-old, Mexican-American boy. He had a scrawny build, and a very noticeable mop of messy black curls. His tall, beautiful mother stood by his side. Her features were sharp, yet tired-looking. She looked worn out.  
They were discussing something as they walked through what appeared to be a machine shop of some sort. I could hear them conversing.

"_Tengo hambre_," the young boy said. I started to piece everything in. This was Leo.

Leo's mother laughed. "But we ate dinner three hours ago!"

Leo smiled at her with his crazy grin. "_Si, _and that was three hours too long."

"_¿Cómo se supone que debo responder a eso?"_ she asks.

Leo grinned even bigger. "Like this. 'Oh, well, we'll just have to go out for some ice cream then.'"

His mother rolled her eyes. "Dairy Queen is closed at this hour, _mijo." _

"So?"

The woman seemed to realize something, like she was missing one of her possessions. "Where are my keys? I must have left them back there… Wait here, _mijo. _ I'll only be a moment."

Leo nodded, taking a few pieces of metal out of his pocket and fiddling with it.

She flashed one last proud smile at her son, and he smiled back. Then, she went back through the double doors to the shop from the break room.

The events that happened afterward happened in such a flash, I could barely grasp what was happening. All the doors shut, and Leo dropped his metal. He rushed to the door his mother went through and tried to open it, only to find that it was locked. He screamed out for his mom, tapped on the walls for some reason. He seemed so desperate and frantic, it was seriously frightening.

The Leo that was being held against his will, with flaming hands, watching this, screamed for this to stop.

Then Gaea walked in, with robes made of dirt, eyes closed. She shuffled across the floor, speaking words that I couldn't make out.

The eight-year-old looked so scared as he answered her, it made me want to go and comfort him. But then I remembered that I couldn't. This had already happened.

Gaea walked straight through a table.

The young boy looked around frantically, searching for a way to make this stop. He seemed to realize that he was the only thing that was separating Gaea from his mother. His hands caught fire.

The older Leo screamed out for this to end.

Gaea laughed, and the young boy screamed out in desperation, passing out. Flames washed over the walls, overtaking the entire shop in orange.

The older Leo started to cry. He seemed so pained by this… I just hated it so much.

The image changed. This time, it was of Leo, still in a coma. I was sitting by his bed, crying over him. I remembered this happening earlier today.

This seemed to send the Leo with perfect hair in a new wave of pain. He screamed my name, tears combing with sweat and running down his tan face.

Suddenly, Gaea appeared in the dream. I remembered defeating her with the help of a certain group of six friends. I couldn't understand why she was in the dream.

"You've caused so much pain to everyone, Leo. You don't realize how much damage you have made. Look at Piper, bawling over _you_, of all people. Annoying, psychotic Valdez. And you remember your mother. She died because of you. And you _killed _me. I think it's time you feel how much fire hurts. Have flames wash over you, and it actually causing pain. You need a taste of your own medicine," she muttered in her eternal slumber.

Leo screamed once again as the fire in his hands swept up his arms, washing over him. Covering him in orange. He cried out in pain, obviously being burned for the first and only time in his life.

Leo cried out one last name—my name—before the dream shimmered oddly, and I was suddenly back in the regular world.

Line breaking...

I slipped the headphones off my head and turned the machine off, also taking off Leo's pair. His face was contorted with pain, but nothing other than expressions could imply that. Now that I knew what Leo was going through, I was even more depressed. I just wished he would wake up from that horrible sleep. **(A/N Sorry for interrupting, but, Anna1090, your reply is at the bottom! I just got it your review. :D)**

I quickly made the decision that I needed to get out of that room. The image of Leo being burned was seared into my brain, haunting my thoughts. I couldn't stop hearing Leo's screams and cries. It all was just too much. I semi-regretted actually trying to see his dreams in the first place. But I knew that I needed to see them. Now I knew what was going on.

**One more reply: Anna1090: Thank you SOOOOOO much! I am really glad you like this. It always takes me an infinite amount of time to write, but getting reviews from you guys makes it all worth while. That probably sounded cheesy. Whatever. Thanks for alerting, and favoriting the story. AND all that other fun stuff! :D I REALLY appreciate it! **

**Sorry if this was terrible, guys. It got messed up so many times...**

**WOW. SIX reviews! Thank you guys! I'm really sorry about this chapter, by the way… Did it get too violent? I think it did. That's what I get for listening to Linkin Park again while writing… *mental slap* But I really do feel very proud of this. I FINALLY finished this chapter! *Phew.* Tell me what you guys think about the small amount of Percabeth, my version of what happened to Leo in the machine shop that one day, and my version of torturing. :)**

**FLAME ON!**

**Anastasia Laurels 2.0**


	13. Chapter 12

**Alrighty! …Wow, that was…weird. Yes, I am updating again, because I FEEL like it. :D You guys got LUUUUCKY. Well, that depends on how you look at it… My writing honestly isn't very good. :P Sometimes it's ridiculously OOC. Whatever.**

**FireofRiptide: I'm glad you liked the "seeing of the dreams." :) Oh, and he was wearing a gladiator outfit and had perfect hair because that's what he was like in the dream I had that totally inspired this. Odd, yet true. I vaguely remember having a dream like that at some point, so I can only guess that I did. :D**

**Anna1090: Yay! It was ORIGINAL! :D And I am EXACTLY the same way. It can be four in the morning, and I see that a Leoper fic has been updated. Then, I MUST stay up to read it. XD**

**Loony-Lighting-Lion: YAY! It was FREAKING AWESOME! And don't die! D: I'm writing as soon as I can! Angh…*writes***

**XxXTratie-and-Thalico-4everXxX: Again, they're my gods too! (Kind of an inside joke. Whenever somebody says, "Oh my -whatever," whether it's goodness, gods, gosh, etc…I have to reply with that. XD Ex. It's my gosh too!) Anyways, Leo will wake up soon… :D And I love Leoper too! They're just MEANT TO BE! :D:D:D:D:D:D:D And thanks for saying all that. It really makes me feel overly cheerful. (Maybe it's the coffee…) I really appreciate it!**

**Calypso1211: Oh, so it wasn't just me that thought it was violent. GOOD. AND, I Linkin Park's the best! Well, sometimes. Sometimes they get too shout-y. :) I'm glad you don't think anyone's OOC… I've been doubting myself a WHOLE LOT about that lately. :P And I'm also glad you liked the dreams. I almost thought they didn't have enough dialogue…which is kinda true. But I chose to ignore my conscience and get on with the chapter. :D**

**DISCLAIMER: I will never own the rights. Just gonna say that much. :P I'm being boring today.**

**LEO'S P.O.V. (SUUUUURRRPRIIIIIISE!)**

My eyes fluttered open lightly to reveal the brightly lit room in the infirmary. I scanned the room, looking for any other signs of life. The first thing I noticed?

Piper wasn't in the room.

I sat up quickly, only to lie right back down again. My head throbbed painfully whenever I moved. I looked over at my bedside table, taking notice of the large, heavy contrivance that sat there. Two pairs of headphones were lying on the top.

My mind went crazy. The Dreaming? _What is that doing here? …Did Piper use it? Did she see all that…?_

I forced myself to get out of bed to look for Piper. My brain hurt terribly, but I ignored the pain and got up. As I stood, I wobbled threateningly. My leg and foot still weren't as stable as I would've liked, but I had to find Piper.

I looked down at my clothes. Although I was relieved to not be wearing the uncomfortable gladiator uniform, I couldn't help but criticize myself. I was wearing a blue cotton shirt with matching pants. It reminded me of a nurse's uniform. Even though I'm not one to worry about what I'm wearing, for some reason something told me that it wasn't exactly a fashion statement. Piper would probably be embarrassed.

Who am I kidding? Why would Piper care about what I'm wearing? She doesn't even care about what _she's _wearing! **(A/N *Turns off the loop on Linkin Park and chooses shuffle. Lands on Taylor Swift. Coincidence?*)**

I looked in the small mirror on the wall that was miraculously there. My hair was semi-combed, which was a surprise. I rarely brushed it, and it was usually a mess. Especially after sleeping.

I stumbled into the door, grasping the handle. I turned the knob and pushed. I walked down the aisle of cots, some empty, some occupied, and shuffled right up to the door to the outside. I opened it and stepped through.

Met with a blast of cold, fresh air, my brown eyes scanned the bright atmosphere to find Piper. She wasn't anywhere I could see. I decided to go forward, even though I had a bit of a limp, and I wasn't wearing any shoes.

I limped my way over to the cabins, searching for Piper. When I got to her cabin, I tripped through the door, but caught myself. I found Lacy, sitting on her bed, quietly reading what seemed to be some sort of teen drama romance novel. Probably about vampires, because that's what all girly teens read these days. Something about vampires being hot, I dunno.

She looked up, blue braces showing as she gaped at me. "L-leo?"

"Have you seen Piper?" I asked. My voice sounded weak, and came out surprisingly quiet for me. I held onto the door frame for support.

She stared at me, eyes locked on my deformed foot. But I didn't care. "Um, she passed by here. Do you need any help?"

"Thanks, but I'm not a pity case," I replied. I turned around and tried to walk out as dignified-like as I could. I closed the door behind me, and walked over the lumpy, grassy terrain as I searched for my best friend and girlfriend.

I walked into the woods, hoping to find her there. The sharp twigs scratched my legs and feet, but I ignored it all. I searched the woods, but didn't find her there either. I decided to stop in Bunker Nine, just to grab some scrap metal to play with.

I noted that nobody was in here as I grabbed a few pieces of metal and my tool belt. I buckled the belt around my waist and left.

I walked back through the woods, probably looking very strange. I walked along the strip of beach, absentmindedly building something with my long fingers.

I paid all attention to the small pieces of metal while I walked. I looked up occasionally, but really didn't do much other than walk through the surf. The water wet the cloth around my ankles.

I looked up, and saw Piper sitting on the sand, staring out over the ocean. She seemed as if she were trying not to appear sad. But, me being one of the closest people to her, I could tell she was troubled. I decided against running in slow motion, shouting her name, dropping my trinket and spreading my arms out wide. It would probably creep her out.

She didn't seem to see me. She stared straight ahead, as if she were refusing to look any other way.

I guessed I should probably just sit right down next to her. Therefore, I tried to do just that.

Unfortunately, simple as it was, it didn't go as planned.

I tripped on my own foot, falling onto my hands and knees. I groaned slightly, seeing as the small pieces of metal made a small cut on my right hand.

That got Piper's attention.

Her eyes lit up. "Leo! You…you're awake! And…on a beach? How did you get here without any help?"

I twisted myself into a sitting position, lying my legs down in front of me. I raised my hands and wiggled the fingers as I replied, "Magic!"

She rolled her eyes and moved closer to me. Then, surprisingly, she hugged me.

Not that I was freaked out by her or anything, but I couldn't help but ask. "Um, why are you hugging me?"

Still hugging me, she turned her head to look straight into my eyes. "Well, considering both the fact that you're my boyfriend, put very frankly, and the fact that you just died, came back to life, and went into a coma, I think I have a reason to hug you."

"I did?"

"Yeah, you did."

"Wow… I'm like a ninja!"

She stared at me, and abruptly stopped hugging me. She continued to stare at me.

I stared back intensely, sensing what was going on here.

Piper blinked her kaleidoscope-like eyes.

"Hah! You blinked! I win!" I said to her, pumping my fist in the air.

She seemed to be speechless, shaking her head.

My face suddenly turned serious. "But Piper?—"

She cut me off. "I'm not 'But Piper,' I'm Piper."

I laughed, but then turned serious again. "Piper, did you… did you use my own invention on me?"

She wouldn't meet my eyes. "Leo—"

"Piper, are you okay? You don't look so good."

She looked at me straight in the eyes, hers changing to be a pale, amber-like color. "Leo, I'm fine. I'm perfectly fine. I should be the one worrying. To be honest, you're the one that just died."

"Maybe… But at least I'm not all troubled."

Piper looked down. "Just…drop it, okay? You know what I saw, you know what the problem is. Now just drop it."

I looked out over the ocean. She did the same as I did. We sat in silence for at least ten minutes (but what seemed like hours to me), just listening to the waves crash on the shore.

"Piper?" I asked.

"Yeah?"

"…I need to tell you something important."

"And what is that?"

"I think I'm in love with you."

"Me too."

**Okay. It's short. A LOT shorter than I expected. :P Darn. I guess I just felt like it should end here, or it would get too awkward. Sorry, guys. :P I am aware there is probably more Author's Note than chapter... :( That stinks for me too. And sorry it's so cheesy. I wasn't listening to Linkin Park... :P and there aren't anymore demented dreams to write. Demented is sadly what I write best.**

**From now on, though, it's gonna be more romance, just building up. Tell me what you think of this chapter, PLEASE. I'm waiting in anticipation! :) REVIEW.**

**Oh, yeah. ONE MORE REPLY!**

**S. Layton: Thanks! ...I tried to make it overly descriptive because... I wanted the word count to be as large as last time I wrote chapter 11. And you update soon too! :) (I'm updating...I guess, soon. Which, in code, meas NOW. :D)**

**YOURS IN DEMIGODISHNESS AND ALL THAT!**

**PEACE OUT!**

**~Everyone's favorite author (not), Anastasia Laurels 2.0~**


	14. Chapter 13 Last Chapter

**Yo. 'Sup, random people who have strangely come across this chapter? Right, I don't think there will be too many chapters after this. The plot has basically ended, which SHOULD mean that the story needs to end. It's kinda pointless writing at this point, which I am VERY ashamed to say. (How come I see all these stories with, like, 50 chapters, and I can only write thirteen? *sighs*) This is the last chapter. I've decided. This is like, ALL fluff at this point. :P**

**I don't feel like replying today. :P Too bad, so sad. If anyone even reads those… :I**

**Disclaimer: Do I seriously have to go through this for the THIRTEENTH TIME? I mean, you kidding me? You know what? Gonna cut this short. ****_READ THIS NOW! EVERY READER OUT THERE, EVEN THE SILENTS. _****Go to iTunes or YouTube or something and listen to Radioactive by Imagine Dragons. It's my new, most favorite song EVER. IN THE ENTIRE WORLD. (I kinda have a thing for Alternative bands and singers. Alternative/Rock is my favorite genre. :D) Tell me what you think of it in a review. (I'm listening to this as I write. ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE CHAPTER.)**

**Piper's P.O.V.**

"So, um… do we kiss _now_?" Leo asked after about three seconds, staring out into the ocean.

I laughed. "Leo, are you seriously kidding me?"

"So, that's a 'no,' I presume?"

I stared at him with wide eyes. "No, I meant you just totally killed the moment!"

Leo looked down at his lap. "Oh… So, no kiss?"

I laughed again and pecked his cheek.

He furrowed his brows. "Okay, not what I meant, but I'll take it." He pushed himself up off the sand, and he held out his hand for me.

I took it, and he pulled me up. We kept holding hands, and I led him up to Thalia's Pine, just because we both like the view. Before he went into the war, he and I were usually found sitting there, just talking.

We sat down, our backs against Peleus. (Crazy but true fact: Peleus almost never wakes up. Only when he senses evil. Sounds cheesy, I know, but honestly, it's true.) Leo's eyes scanned over the landscape ahead of us, the tall trees and narrow, gravel roads. The strawberry fields stretched over quite a bit of it.

"What now?" his eyes bore into mine as he sharply turned his head.

I shrugged, now feeling guilty.

He raised his eyebrows. "Beauty Queen doesn't know something? Oh my gods, it's a miracle!"

I shoved his shoulder playfully as I lightly laughed.

"Still got nothing to say, huh?" Leo asked.

I fiddled with my fingers.

"Come on, Pipes. You gotta have some sort of plan! Whether it's just going to lunch, avoiding your siblings during their makeover time, or training in the arena with Annabeth."

I sighed. "No, Leo. I really don't have any sort of plan this time."

"Well, maybe you could come to the forges or Bunker Nine or something. It's always fun there!" Leo exclaimed.

"Yeah, to people who actually know how to build things and make weapons," I replied, jokingly.

"I could teach you!" Leo told me. His eyes looked wild and overjoyed with the idea.

I felt a little uneasy. I didn't want to disappoint him or anything, but he just looked so hopeful. I didn't even want to learn, and I couldn't, but that isn't what came out of my mouth. "Sure," I said, hesitantly.

Leo perked up and tackled me in a hug. Luckily, I didn't topple over or anything, but for someone who was on the scrawnier side, he was startlingly forceful. "Yay!" he shouted.

I smiled uncomfortably. I didn't want to offend him, so I said, "Looking forward to it." I felt terrible that I couldn't keep my promise.

When he let go of me, and sat back, he ruffled my hair affectionately. "Look at you, all excited over a bunch of scrap metal and tools. Maybe we're starting to see eye to eye! Which is surprising. I didn't expect that to happen."

"Me either."

"But it did happen! This is gonna be so much fun! I can teach you all about exposed hoods versus unexposed hoods and the odometer and the speedometer calibrater and the importance of copper anti-seize spray-"

"Yeah, I know!" I said hurriedly, in an attempt to shut him up.

"Oh! Oh, and you have to learn about voltage regulator! Those are the best!"

"Yep. Don't I know it."

"And, Piper, you need to learn how to-"

"Shut up, Valdez," I told him, tired of his ranting.

He finally shut his mouth, but still kept his goofy grin on his face. It was as if he couldn't help the corners of his mouth turning up in a downright _uniquely strange _way. In a way, it was kinda cute. In another way, it was utterly annoying.

I stared at him, and he suddenly looked up at me. His grin turned into concern.

"What's wrong, Beauty Queen?" he asked me.

"Don't call me that," I replied defensively. The sense of guilt must've shown on my face.

"No, really. What's wrong? You can tell me," he told me, with his brows furrowed.

I looked up into his eyes again, and instinctively knew that he wouldn't drop it.

"Leo, my dad wants me to visit for a few months. He said he finally got a break from all premieres, shootings, everything. He hasn't been able to do this for such a long time…" I told Leo.

"And what did you say?" asked Leo, his brows still furrowed.

"I told him that I would."

**Okay. Yeah. And that's the last chapter. J 'Kay. Right. Um, I do have one last little letter to all you guys. ****READ THIS!**

**Thanks to all readers. Thanks for putting up with my constant tense-shifting, typos, intended sentence fragments, weird vocabulary, rantings, obsession with Linkin Park and Imagine Dragons (ALTERNATIVE FTW!), and sudden Author's Notes in the middle of a chapter that are totally, one-hundred percent random. Thanks for putting up with Chapter 5 (and it's randomness) along with me writing something serious, and then totally mocking it and ripping it down to random humor. Thanks to Remuel and Askiznarf nov Amrak for being my test dummies with the first chapters. THERE WILL BE A SEQUEL. I developed an idea (oddly enough) for a plot while writing this and listening to the best song of all time. (Read first note for more info. :D) Thanks to all people who kindly reviewed this story (NO FLAMES! Leo protected me. :'D), as well as alerted, favorite, favorite me as an author, alerted me as an author, etc. So, thanks in general! :D**


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